Mt St Helens Eruption Rare Footage and Educational Film

Mt St Helens Eruption Rare Footage and Film

This is a very interesting educational video made by the US Forest Service showcasing the Mt St Helens eruption. The video shows us before and after the blast, and the damage and the changes that occurred with her eruption.

The Final Moments

An earthquake prior to the blast led to a collapse of the northface, by which upwelling magma and pressure caused a lateral blast (wikipedia). Prior to the actual eruption, several small earthquakes and steam-venting episodes transpired, all of which prompted the USGS to evacuate the area prior explosion.

These indicators gave geologists plenty of time to study the mountain and warn the community of the impending eruption. Many lives were saved because of this, however 57 people were killed (wikipedia).

Boom!

A plume over 12 miles tall shot up into the stratosphere and lasted for over 10 hours (wikipedia). The skies went dark, ash rained down onto roadways covering cars, streets and homes and yards.

As rain water mixed with the fallen ash, a hard heavy, concrete-like material formed, causing burdensome shovelling by homeowners and city works to restore their communities and clean up the debris generated by Mt St Helens.